Vacuum cleaner



Sept. 17, 1940' o. HOLM-HANSEN VACUUM CLEANER Filed March 3, 1938 I-hs Attor'ngg Patente d Sept. 17,. 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE to General Electric Company, a

New York corporation of Application March 3, 1938, Serial No. 193,710

2 Claims.

. wheels sink into the nap of the floor covering it is important that the height of the suction nozzle with reference to the supporting wheels be adjustable so that the nozzle will be supported I the proper distance above the floor covering.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement for adjusting the height of the suction nozzle with reference to the supporting wheels, and for a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the following description and the claims appended thereto.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cleaner equipped with a nozzleadjustment embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a detailed view'of the latching means for holding the nozzle in the adjusted position; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a cleaner equipped with a modification of the nozzle adjustment; and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the cleaner shown in Fig. 3 showing the parts in the position in which the cleaner is tilted so as to be supported solely on the rear wheels.

Referring to the drawing, there r is shown a vacuum cleaner having a casing I prgvided with a suction nozzle 2 at the front through which air is drawn by a suitable motor-driven fan mounted within the casing. The air is discharged through a discharge outlet (not shown) to the usual bag. At the front of the cleaner are front supporting wheels 3 rotatably carried on stub shafts 4 fixed in the cleaner casing. The cleaner is provided with a handle having a fork 5 fixed to a shaft 6 rotatably carried in cars l on the rear side of the cleaner casing. The handle fork is biased to thevertical position -(shown in Fig. l.) by a coil spring 8 arranged around the shaft 6. The movement of the handle fork is limited by a stop 9.

The upper end of the handle fork has a socket of the adjacent arm of the handle fork. The

arm [2 is pivoted on the shaft 6 intermediate the ears I. The free ends of the arms H and I! are bent outward to provide afork It carrying a shaft IE on which a pair of rear supporting wheels l6 are journaled. Between the arms of the fork I4 is fixed a shaft l'l (Fig. 2) on which is pivoted a bell crank'lever l8. One arm l9a of the bell crank lever extends above the shaft l5 and is provided at itsouter end with a button I9 which is adapted to be engaged by the operator s foot. The button l9 projects between the rear supporting wheels IS in a position which is conveniently accessible. the bell crank lever has a pointed end 20 which cooperates with ratchet teeth 2| in a member 22 secured to the cleaner casing. The pointed 'end of'the bell crank lever is urged into engagement with the ratchet teeth by a grasshopper spring 23 arranged around the shaft l1 and having its ends respectively engaging the arm. 20a of the bell crank lever and the arm l2 of thehinge member carrying the rear' supporting wheels. The ratchet teeth 2| and the bell crank lever 18 comprise alatching means which holds the hinge member carrying the rear supporting wheels in fixed relation to the vacuum cleaner casing. When so held, it is obvious that the suc- 'tion nozzle occupies a predetermined position with respect to the supporting wheels. 1

When the cleaner is used on different types of floor covering the supporting wheels sink into the nap of the floor covering by varying amounts and the position of the suction nozzle with reference to the surface of the floor covering accordingly varies. It is, therefore, desirable that the position of the suction nozzle be adjusted when the cleaner is moved to another type of floor covering. v

The nozzle adjustment is affected by stepping on the bottom 19. This moves the arm Ilia. of the bell crank leveragainst the shaft l5 and moves the pointed end 20 of the arm 20a of the bell crank lever out of engagement with the ratchet teeth 2|. Due to the downward force ex- The other arm 20a of erted through the shaft I5 the rear supporting suction nozzle. The suction nozzle is lowered by moving the upper end of the handle forward, moving the handle fork against the stop 9 and pivoting the cleaner in a counterclockwise direcbutton l9 releasing the bell crank lever and permitting the pointed end 20 to be moved into engagement with one of the ratchet teeth 2| by the spring 23 thus holding the rear supporting wheels in fixed relation and thereby holding the suction nozzle in the adjusted position. Due to the relatively great length of the vacuum cleaner handle, a relatively large movement of the upper end of the handle is necessary to effect a small vertical movement of the suction nozzle. It is, therefore, relatively easy to secure the desired nozzle adjustment.

As shown in Fig. 2, the ratchet teeth 2| are inclined downwardly. It is, therefore, possible to lower the suction nozzle without releasing the bell crank lever from engagement with the ratchet teeth. In this case, it is merely necessary that the operator step on the rear supporting wheels l6 and move the handle forward from the vertical positionshown in Fig. 1. The handle fork then engages the stop 9 andpivots the cleaner in a counterclockwise direction about the front supporting wheels 3. The inclined upper surfaces of the ratchet teeth 2| permit pivotal movement of the cleaner in this direction. From one aspect the button l9, or the'upper surface of the rear supporting wheels l6, provide a foot rest by means of which the rear supporting wheels maybe held on the floor covering while the position of the-suction nozzle is being adjusted.

In Figs. 3 and'4 are shown-a modification ap.

plied to a cleaner having a casing 24 provided with a suction nozzle 25 and front supporting wheels 26 carried on stub shafts 2'! fixed in ears 28. A handle fork 29, of the same construction as the handle fork 5, is fixed to a shaft 30 journaled in cars 3| in the vacuum cleaner casing. As in the previously described construction, the handle fork is biased to a vertical position against a stop 32 on one of the ears 3|. The handle fork at its upper end is provided with a socket 33 for receiving the usual handle. Pivoted on the shaft 30 is a hinge member 34 having ashaft 35 in its free end on which are rotatably carried a pair of rear supporting wheels 36. Pivoted on the shaft 35 between the rear supporting wheels is a bell crank lever 31 having an arm 38 provided with a button 39 adapted to be engaged by the operators foot and having an arm 40 provided with ratchet teeth 4| which are adapted to cooperate with the pointed end 42 of an arm 43 fixed to the rear end of the vacuum cleaner casing. The ratchet teeth 4| are biased into engagement with the arm 43 by a tension spring vM arranged between the arm 40 and the hinge member.

To effect adjustment of the suction nozzle the operator steps on the button 39 pivoting the bell crank lever 31 to a position in which the teeth 4| are clear of the arm 43. This releases the connection between the vacuum cleaner casing'and the rear supporting wheels. The weight of the vacuum cleaner casing is such that the casing tends to pivot about the front supporting wheels 36 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, or

in other words, in a direction to raise the suction nozzle. The suction nozzle is lowered by moving the upper end of the vacuum cleaner handle forward causing the handle fork to engage the stop.

32 and thereby to move the cleaner casing in a counterclockwise direction about the front supporting-wheels 26 so as to lower the suction nozzle. When the suction nozzle reaches the desired position the button 39 is released and the spring 44 moves the notches 4| into engagement with the arm 43, thereby holding the nozzle in the adjusted position.

,Under some circumstances, it is desirable that the vacuum cleaner be moved to the position shown in Fig. 4 in which the cleaner is supported This is v solely on the rear supporting wheels. effected by pivoting a stop 45 on the upper end of the arm 40 from the position shown in Fig. 3

to the position shown in Fig. 4. In this-latter position the stop is engaged by the handle fork and upon exerting a downward force on the vacuum cleaner handle the cleaner may be moved to the positionshown in Fig. 4.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a vacuum cleaner having a suction nozzle and frontand rear supporting wheels, a member hinged to the cleaner carrying one of said wheels at its free end, latching means for holding said member in a plurality of positions with respect to the cleaner whereby the position of the sucmember to bring the nozzle to the desired posi-'- tion, andmeans for rendering said latching.

means effective to hold the nozzle in the adjusted position.

2. In a vacuum cleaner having a suction nozzle and front supporting wheels, the weight of the cleaner being such that the cleaner tends to pivot about the front wheels in the direction to raise the suction nozzle, a member hinged to the cleaner carrying a rear supporting wheel at its free end, latching means for holding said hinged member in a plurality of. positions with respect to the cleaner whereby the position of the nozzle is adjusted, a foot operated member on said hinged member for rendering said latching means ineffective, means for transmitting the force required to operate the foot operated member to the free end of the hinged member to hold the free end of the hinged member stationary, a handle for the cleaner, connections between the handle and the cleaner for pivoting the cleaner about the front wheels in the direction to lower the nozzle, and means for rendering said latching means effective to hold the nozzle in the adjusted position.

v OSMUND HOLMPHANSEN. 

